


and the songs get louder, each better than before

by NaomiLeyers



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of incest, Past Abuse, Past Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister, Past Ramsay Bolton/Theon Greyjoy, Weddings, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 16:22:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20230792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiLeyers/pseuds/NaomiLeyers
Summary: in which Asha is annoying and Jaime ships throbb before it gets cool





	and the songs get louder, each better than before

**Author's Note:**

  * For [janie_tangerine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/janie_tangerine/gifts).

> nothing belongs to me except plot if there is any and the title is from Amy Macdonald's This is the life

Asha is... mildly annoying.

That might be an euphemism, but she was also the one member of Theon’s family who hasn’t abandoned him completely and who appeared on Ramsay’s doorstep after Theon’s desperate attempt to call her and dragged him out, which is why Theon will suffice himself with _mildly annoying_.

Either way, after eight weeks spent on her couch and drowning himself in her most expensive whisky, she threatened not to buy him any other alcohol as long as he doesn’t go to the therapy, which is precisely the reason he is sitting there, surrounded by other people whose lives have apparently sucked just as much as his own.

“My twin-sister convinced me to sleep with her when we were fourteen,” the man on the stage says quietly, his voice sad, but also surprisingly composed, enough that it makes Theon wonder if he ever manages to talk about Ramsay without wanting to scream. “I had a secret relationship with her for over ten years, during which she convinced me to not date anyone. Meanwhile, obviously, she slept around with half of the men I knew at that time.”

The man stops for a moment, closing his eyes. “I met a woman, three years ago. Her name is Brienne, I am marrying her in six months and it was her and my brother who forced me to get the fuck away from my sister.” He laughs and Theon, who is quite sick of merely _hearing_ those things, finds himself fairly impressed by the fact that he sounds only _slightly_ bitter. “I don’t know if I can ever become the man she deserves; but she is making me a better man every second I am with her. And she helped me understand, what happened was not my fault. As it wasn’t yours.”

He smiles and it is little bit tight, but he smiles. “Now, is there someone who would like to share their story?”

Theon closes his eyes and doesn’t raise his hand.

*

Later, when the meeting is over and he is drinking coffee that is not great, but better than most of public places offer, the man from the stage comes to find him.

“You are here for the first time, am I right?” he asks and Theon takes another sip and nods.

The man smiles down at him; he is tall, blond with longish hair and a charming smile, the kind of man who probably has all the women and half of the men swooning.

“I am glad you came,” he continues after Theon’s confirmation. “It is good. Asha has been growing annoying.”

He then has to notice Theon’s confused stare, because he smirks, self-depreciating and it doesn’t suit him.

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” he asks.

“I’m sorry,” Theon answers automatically and the man curses.

“Jaime Lannister,” he says then. “We’ve met several years ago on that beneficial. You know, one of those where all the important families meet, drink and feast and that shit costs actual billions. And then we donate couple thousands to charities to make us feel heroic. Sorry. My fiancée happens to have a very strong opinion on those. One that I found myself sharing.”

Theon forces himself to accept the offered hand. “Of course. I fell out of these things when-“ he sighs, takes several deep breaths and continues- “-when it happened.”

Jaime looks like he might say something but then he doesn’t, instead he dryly warns Theon about the coffee’s questionable origin and _then_ his entire face fucking lights up when he looks over Theon’s shoulder, making Theon turn around.

The approaching woman is tall and she definitely couldn’t be considered pretty by any society’s standards that Theon knows of (not that he himself could now compete for the prince charming award) but at the same time it is clearly not her looks that make Jaime swoon. (Because yes, he does swoon.) Her hair is blonde and cut short although it still does frame her face and alright, her nose looks like it has been broken at least twice, but her eyes are beautiful. Note to self, Theon really does have a thing for blue eyes. Theon also has a thing for people oozing dominance and okay he does understand Jaime. He understands him a lot. She smiles at him and she kisses Jaime instead of greeting and when they part they are both breathless and blushing and Theon envies them the calm and harmony that is quite visible in every look they exchange.

“I should probably go,” he says quickly before the blonde can apologize for making him uncomfortable.

“Nonsense,” she answers promptly and then she shoots Jaime an outraged (but not really, Theon knows what an outraged look looks like, he knows that too well) look. “I’m Brienne, by the way, Brienne Tarth. I can’t believe you didn’t introduce us first thing, Jaime.”

Jaime smiles at her.

“I was kind of busy,” he retorts and then his smile turns into a kind smirk when Brienne blushes harder.

“Theon Greyjoy,” Theon answers, “pleased to meet you.”

Brienne offers him hand and he shakes it and she doesn’t comment on the scars, which is nice. Then she asks him about his job and about his sister and she mentions her and Jaime’s wedding and it was alright to talk to Jaime but it is outright easy to talk to Brienne. When Brienne asks him if he would like to meet her for lunch sometimes this week, he agrees.

*

They schedule the lunch on Thursday and it goes over smoothly, she doesn’t comment on his clothes or his choice of food and she is not-too-surprisingly nice to talk to. She tells him about Jaime and about how it happened that the Lannister CEO to be decided to quit his job and run therapy session instead (she doesn’t go into the details but she tells him enough that Theon feels like he might be able to talk about his own nightmares one day). When the lunch is over she convinces him to come to another group meeting tomorrow and then she asks him if they could do this again sometimes soon and he says yes to both and doesn’t even question it too much.

*

He doesn’t speak up at the next session or at the next one but he listens and Jaime talks to him after every one of them and it is kind of nice and he has another few meetings with Brienne and then a dinner with Brienne and Jaime and then he invites them over for dinner to his sister’s place and Asha makes a show of protesting before she smiles at him and pulls him into a hug (she is off to do something “not touchy and not feely” then and she informs him he is the one cooking, which he is happy to do; last time she tried it the house almost burned down).

*

Then Jaime invites him to his and Brienne’s wedding.

He also mentions that Brienne’s childhood best friend (Brienne’s very single and very bisexual childhood best friend who used to live in the King’s Landing but is moving back here) has promised to come and Jaime is sure they are literal definition of each other’s types.

Theon isn't particularly sure about him being anybody’s type but he asks himself if he is up for this.

*

He agrees.

*

The wedding is beautiful; it is about as far from traditional as it goes, with bride wearing a pantsuit and with most of the groom’s family missing but both of them are smiling and beautiful and Theon definitely wishes them luck.

“They look happy,” someone says on his left, when Brienne leads Jaime into the first dance.

Theon glances at the man.

Then he almost chokes on his champagne.

The man is tall, with red curls and blue eyes, oh gods, so blue eyes and he looks fit and Theon might not be ready for sex, not now but he would definitely go down on this man.

“Yes, yes they do,” he agrees.

The man offers him his right hand.

“I’m Robb Stark,” he says and Theon shakes his hand and introduces himself and Robb smiles at him.

“They really look like they are enjoying themselves,” he says then, nodding at the newlyweds and Theon nods but before he can react, Robb offers him his right hand once again. “May I ask you for a dance, Theon?” he asks and he puts an emphasis at his name as if he liked it and Theon could cry but he doesn’t and he accepts.

“Yes, Robb, I would like you to,” he agrees.

He lets Robb lead him and it is nice, really nice.

“You are good at this,” he tells Theon as he swings him around and he doesn’t sound mocking, he sounds appreciative.

“Thank you.”

“Brienne mentioned you,” Robb adds then and Theon feels himself blushing and that makes Robb smirk.

“Let me guess, Lannister mentioned _me_. In some obnoxious way.”

Theon smiles.

“I believe he used the term very single and very bisexual childhood best friend,” he says and Robb laughs.

“Well, it is obnoxious but it is also correct.”

After the third dance Robb asks him if he can take him to his seat and Theon says yes and when he realizes he and Robb have seats next to each other he makes a mental note to send Jaime a bouquet of flowers.

Robb also asks him if he can drive him home and he follows Theon's instructions to the letter and without complaining and Theon feels kind of nervous but by the time Robb parks the car in front of Asha's house his fingers are slightly trembling but he feels almost sure.

“Do you want to come in?” he asks and Robb looks at him.

“No,” he says gently and before Theon can start feeling pathetic, Robb catches his left hand into his and he presses a kiss on the back of it, leaving Theon speechless. “No, I don’t want to come in now. I would very much love to come in eventually, though.”

“You- would?”

Robb smiles and presses another kiss on Theon's hand before leaning forward and pressing his lips against Theon's cheek. “Oh, I definitely would. I would also like to take you out for a dinner tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. But the tomorrow for now.”

And okay, Theon is pretty sure he is dreaming this because there is no way someone like Robb Stark would like to go out with someone like him but he isn't going to question his luck.

“I would love to,” he says and Robb fucking lights up as if he was the one lucky.

“Excellent. Can I pick you up at seven?”

“Well- yes. Yes, definitely yes.”

Robb leans back against his seat. 

“That’s great,” he says and then he sighs. “Sorry, I should have also asked before but- I really want to kiss you right now, so- can I?”

Theon, who is even surer now he is hallucinating, nods and then Robb leans in and kisses him, gently but deeply and it is good, oh god, it is so good and when he feels Robb's tongue against his lips he doesn’t even think about it and he parts his lips and lets him in. They only part when they are both breathless and fuck, but Robb also looks flushed and that’s good, in fact, that’s fucking awesome.

“You should go,” Robb says then, his voice rough. “Because I really like you and I really want to take it slow but you are making it very difficult to think clearly and I want to do this the right way.”

Theon blushes even harder if it is even possible but he whispers “goodnight” and gets out of car and alright, Asha and her insisting on him going to the therapy in the first place is still fucking annoying but if this is what comes from it at the end, then he is quite alright with that.

And okay, maybe he does cry a bit when his phone beeps in an hour and the text says, _thank you for an amazing night, I really enjoyed it, R._ but hey, he is completely allowed and Asha won't tell anyway.

THE END


End file.
